Dispatch: From Beirut, Angry Birds of a Different Feather

A New Flock of Mobile Games Has a Distinctive Middle East Twist

What started as an after-work labor of love has become a hit in the gaming community across the Middle East. "Birdy Nam Nam," a game that feels a bit like a Middle Eastern version of the wildly popular "Angry Birds," has been downloaded 1.7 million times since its release in 2011. Its success encouraged the developers who helped create the app to go full-time on gaming—with a distinctive Middle East twist.

After "Birdy Nam Nam," the Lebanese brothers Lebnan and Arz Nader set up Game Cooks, a...